Animal-trap



A. PLAHN. ANIMAL TRAP.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 1, 1 898.

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AUGUST PLAHN, OF HOLSTEIN, IOWA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,438, dated February 1, 1898.

Application filed August 2, 18,97-

to provide a trap of this class which will be released upon a very slight movement of the part that serves the functionof a trigger, and when released will quickly kill the animal by strangulation and without injuring or breaking its skin, and, further, to provide a device of this class that may be readily and quickly set in position, which will not be dangerous to the operator, and which may be easily set.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the trap,whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more specifically set forth,pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows the entire device in perspective in position adjacent to a burrow or hole. Fig. 2 shows a central transverse section through the body of the trap.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference-numeral 10 is used to indicate a wooden block, which I shall call the body of the trap and which may be made of any desirable shape. Its front face is preferably covered by a metal plate 11, and the block is designed to be supported above the ground surface adjacent to a burrow or hole by means of the wire 12, the central portion of which engages the back of the block, and then the sides thereof are passed in front of the block 10, then under it, then upwardly at its back, and finally downwardly, and the ends are formed into the sharpened points 13.

Near the lower edge of the block 10 and metal plate 11 is a vertical slot 14, and 15 indicates a metal plate, L-shaped in cross-section, hinged at its lower end to the rod 16,

which in turn is fixed to the lower edge of the block 10. By this means the upwardlypro- Serial in. 646,738. (No model.)

I jecting part of theplate 15 is made capable of a slight vertical movement.

The referencenumeral 17 is used to indicate a bar having its ends passed between the parts of the wire 12 that pass under the block 10 and the under surface of the said block. The central portion of this rod 17 engages the said plate 15 and hence normally holds it in position. I -The reference-numeral 18 is used to indicate a rod having its ends fixed in the body 10 at about its central portion and having its central portion to extend across the surface of the plate 11.

19 indicates the trigger proper, which is made of a single piece of wire doubled and having near its central portion two loops 20 to encircle the said rod 18, and the central portion 21 of this trigger is designed to project straight downwardly to a point near the upper end of the slot 14. Assuming the central portion 21 of the trigger to be in the position just described, the part of the trigger above the said loops'20 is projected horizontally outward from the plate 11 and then at right angles in a horizontal plane. A detent 22, composed of a metal plate, is hinged to the rod 18 and is of such a length that its lower end will overlap the slot 1a and will stand in close proximity to the aforesaid plate 15 when in a substantially vertical position.

It is obvious, however, that when the ends of the trigger are moved upwardly the central portion of the trigger 21 will engage the said plate 22 and elevate it. i

The reference numeral 23 is used to indicate a flexible wire fixed at its one end to the block 10, near the one end thereof, and the central portion of the said wire is passed through the slot 14- between the plates 15 and 22 and is provided with a loop 24. A contracting coil-spring 25 is fixed to the loop 2 1 at one end and to a stake 26 at its other end.

In practical use it is obvious that this device may be packed into a comparatively small space and may be freely handled when not set without danger, inasmuch as there are no sharp or pointed parts connectedthere with. Assuming that it was desired to place the device in position adjacent to a burrow or hole in the ground, I first press the points 13 into the ground adjacent to the burrow. I then draw the wire 23 through the slot 14 far enough to completely encircle the burrow. I then press the plate 22 downwardly until the wire is gripped between the plates 15 and 22. Then the spring is extended and the stake 2O pressed into the ground to hold the spring 25 in its extended position and to applya considerable tension to the wire 23. The horizontal part of the trigger 19 will then stand in position immediately over the burrow, and the wires of the trigger may, if desired, be covered in any suitable way. It is obvious that should an animal in the burrow attempt to pass out of its end he must first move the trigger 19 aside, and when he presses upon the same the trigger will be elevated and the plate 22 will be moved forwardly. This obviously will release'the wire 23, and the spring 25 will immediately draw the wire through the slot 14:, and as the wire previously encircled the animals body the animal will be drawn up close to the plate 11 and quickly strangled by the pressure of the spring 25.

Having thus described the trap, what I claimas new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor,

1. An animal-trap, comprising a body having an opening extending therethrough, a plate at the bottom of the opening in the body, a trigger pivoted to the face of the body above the said opening and having a downwardly-projecting portion to extend toa point near the said opening, and having an outwardly-extending portion to be engaged by the animal, a metal plate hinged at its upper end and depending in frontof the trigger, and having its lower end extended in position adjacent to the said plate at the lower end of the opening in the body, and a wire fixed at one end to the body and passed through the opening in the body and between the said plates, a spring fixed to its rear end, and a stake at the end of the spring, all arranged and combined to operate substantiallyin the manner set forth and for the purposes stated.

2. An animal-trap, comprising a body portion, having a slot extending therethrough, a plate L-shaped in cross-section hinged to the under surface of the'bod y to overlap the lower portion of the said slot, means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the said plate to hold it upwardly, a trigger hinged near the central portion of the body, and having a downwardly-projecting portion in position adjacent to the said slot, and an outwardly-extending portion to be engaged by the animal, a plate hinged to the same support as the trigger with its lower end extended in a position adjacent to the aforesaid plate and in front of the downwardly-extending portion of the trigger, means for securin g the said body in position, a wire fixed to the body forming a loop and extended through the said slot in the body between said plates, a spring fixed to the rear end of the Wire, and a stake connected with the said spring, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth and for the purposes stated.

AUGUST PLAHN.

Witnesses H. SOHNECKLOTH, R. P. WHEATLEY. 

